Mya Averill’s Sustainability Party

Mangere Bridge local Mya Averill turned eight in October and decided to do something a bit different for her party this year.  After learning about some of the issues facing planet Earth at school this term, she thought it would be a good idea to throw a “sustainability” party and set to work thinking of games, activities, decorations and food that would celebrate this theme.

She started by making some recycled paper party invitations with plant seeds embedded in them and sent these out to her friends, asking them to wrap any presents they brought in newspaper, rather than buying wrapping paper. The party space was decorated with newspaper paper chains, instead of bought decorations.

At the party, her guests got to plant some seedlings in pots and make trash to fashion costumes.  She organised a “treasure” hunt from items of rubbish hidden around the garden, which had to be placed in the correct bin at the end (recycling, compost and landfill).  When her homemade piñata (made from reused cardboard) was bashed open, native plant seeds came flying out! To create less rubbish, food was served and eaten using real crockery and cutlery instead of disposable options. At the end of the party, guests took home the potted plant they’d made, instead of the usual lolly-filled loot bag.

Her friends had fun at the party and their parents got into the spirit of it too, carpooling amongst themselves in keeping with the theme.  Mya’s parents said they “saved a lot of money”, with the food, seeds and seedlings being the only cost. Very little rubbish was generated at the party and Mya felt that she had done something “good for the Earth”. 

If anyone else is considering organizing a sustainability party, Mya suggests that you have three bins on site- one for recycling, one for food scraps and one for general landfill rubbish.  You could use any of her ideas for party activities or think of others, such as getting people to make worm farms and sending them home with worms!  Her general recommendation is for you to reduce, reuse and recycle, a message that could apply to any kind of party or gathering, especially in the lead up to Christmas. 

“Mya keeps us thinking about how we can do things more sustainably. I think

we can do a lot more but we’re making some changes and are much more

conscious about our decisions when it comes to waste and the energy we

consume”, says Mya’s Mum Jen. Thanks Mya for sharing your inspiring story with us.  You are a Mangere Bridge waste champion and a certificate is coming your way soon!